Fusion peptides comprising multi-functional peptidic solubility tags for efficient production, processing and surface applications

ABSTRACT

Compositions and methods using fusion peptides comprising multi-functional solubility tags are provided. The multi-functional peptidic solubility tags facilitates more efficient fusion peptide production, easier downstream processing of the fusion peptide, and may be used to provide functional surface properties when coupled to a target material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/499,380, filed Jun. 21, 2011, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

SEQUENCE LISTING

The sequence listing submitted via EFS, in compliance with 37 C.F.R. §1.52(e), is incorporated herein by reference. The sequence listing text file submitted via EFS contains the file “20120620_CL4320USNP_SeqListST25.txt” created on Jun. 20, 2012, which is 189,567 bytes in size.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of recombinant production of fusion peptides comprising at least one multi-functional peptidic solubility tag coupled to a peptide of interest. In addition to inducing inclusion body formation for production in an expression host, the solubility tag facilitates controlled solubilization for more efficient downstream processing and provides surface functionalizing activity when associated with a target material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The efficient production of bioactive proteins and peptides has become a hallmark of the biomedical and industrial biochemical industry. Bioactive peptides and proteins are used as curative agents in a variety of diseases such as diabetes (insulin), viral infections and leukemia (interferon), diseases of the immune system (interleukins), and red blood cell deficiencies (erythropoietin) to name a few. Additionally, large quantities of proteins and peptides are needed for various industrial applications including, for example, the pulp and paper industries, textiles, food industries, personal care and cosmetics industries, sugar refining, wastewater treatment, production of alcoholic beverages and as catalysts for the generation of new pharmaceuticals.

In some cases commercially-useful proteins and peptides may be synthetically produced or isolated from natural sources. However, these methods are often expensive, time consuming, and characterized by limited production capacity. Recombinant microbial production may be use to commercially produce the desired peptide/protein. Although preferable to synthesis or isolation, recombinant expression of peptides has a number of obstacles to be overcome in order to be a cost-effective means of production. For example, peptides (and in particular short peptides) produced in a cellular environment are susceptible to degradation from the action of native cellular proteases. Additionally, purification can be difficult, resulting in poor yields depending on the nature of the protein or peptide of interest.

One means to mitigate the above difficulties is the use of a genetic chimera for protein and peptide expression. A chimeric protein or “fusion protein” is a polypeptide comprising at least one portion of the desired protein product fused to at least one portion comprising a peptide tag. The peptide tag may be used to assist protein folding, assist post expression purification, protect the protein from the action of degradative enzymes, and/or assist the protein in passing through the cell membrane.

In many cases it is useful to express a peptide in an insoluble form, particularly when the peptide of interest is rather short, soluble, and/or subject to proteolytic degradation within the host cell. Production of the peptide in insoluble form both facilitates simple recovery and protects the peptide from the undesirable proteolytic degradation. One means to produce the peptide in insoluble form is to recombinantly produce the peptide as part of an insoluble fusion peptide by including within the fusion peptide at least one peptidic solubility tag (i.e., an “inclusion body tag” or “IBT”) that induces inclusion body formation. Typically, the fusion peptide is designed to include at least one cleavable peptide linker separating the inclusion body tag from the peptide of interest so that the peptide of interest can be subsequently recovered from the fusion peptide. The fusion peptide may be designed to include a plurality of inclusion body tags, cleavable peptide linkers, and regions encoding the peptide of interest.

Fusion proteins comprising a peptide tag that facilitate the expression of insoluble proteins are well known in the art. The solubility tag of the chimeric or fusion protein is often large, increasing the likelihood that the fusion protein will be insoluble. Example of large peptide solubility tags include, but are not limited to chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (Dykes et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 174:411 (1988), β-galactosidase (Schellenberger et al., Int. J. Peptide Protein Res., 41:326 (1993); Shen et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 281:4627 (1984); and Kempe et al., Gene, 39:239 (1985)), glutathione-S-transferase (Ray et al., Bio/Technology, 11:64 (1993) and Hancock et al. (WO94/04688)), the N-terminus of L-ribulokinase (U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,154 and Lai et al., Antimicrob. Agents & Chemo., 37:1614 (1993), bacteriophage T4 gp55 protein (Gramm et al., Bio/Technology, 12:1017 (1994), bacterial ketosteroid isomerase protein (Kuliopulos et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 116:4599 (1994), ubiquitin (Pilon et al., Biotechnol. Prog. 13:374-79 (1997), bovine prochymosin (Naught et al., Biotechnol. Bioengin. 57:55-61 (1998), and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (“BPI”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,219 to Better et al.). The art is replete with specific examples of this technology, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,548, describing fusion protein of proteinaceous tag and a soluble protein and subsequent purification from cell lysate; U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,145, teaching a tag that protects the expressed chimeric protein from a specific protease; U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,244, teaching the synthesis of a fusion protein having a tag and a cleavable linker for facile purification of the desired protein; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,215,896; 5,302,526; 5,330,902; and 7,501,484, describing fusion tags containing amino acid compositions specifically designed to increase insolubility of the chimeric protein or peptide.

Shorter inclusion body tags have been developed from the Zea mays zein protein (U.S. Pat. No. 7,732,569), the Daucus carota cystatin (U.S. Pat. No. 7,662,913), an amyloid-like hypothetical protein from Caenorhabditis elegans (U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,427,656 and 7,795,382), and a ketosteroid isomerase-derived solubility tag modified to be more acid resistant (U.S. Pat. No. 7,829,311 to DeCarolis et al.). The use of short inclusion body tags increases the yield of the target peptide produced within the recombinant host cell.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009-0043075A1 to Alsop et al. discloses fusion proteins comprising cross-linkable inclusion body tags. After cleaving the recovered fusion protein, oxidative cross-linking is used to separate the inclusion body tag from the polypeptide of interest.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,678,883 and 7,794,979 to Cheng et al. disclose inclusion body tags derived from an 11 amino acid synthetic peptide (i.e. peptide “PII-2”; also known as peptide “DN1”) capable of self-assembly into β-sheet tapes, ribbons, fibrils, and fibers in water has been described (Aggeli et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 125:9619-9628 (2003); Aggeli et al., PNAS, 98(21):11857-11862 (2001); Aggeli et al., Nature, 386:259-262 (1997); and Aggeli et al., J. Mater Chem, 7(7):1135-1145 (1997).

Fusion peptides comprising a solubility tag are typically subjected to a cleavage step to separate the solubility tag from the peptide of interest. Separating the solubility tag from the peptide of interest may be particularly desirable if the presence of the tag adversely impacts the properties of the peptide of interest. However, cleavage of the fusion peptide followed by one or more purification steps adds significant cost to the overall process.

One way to reduce the cost of producing a fusion peptide comprising a solubility tag is to use an inclusion body tag that does not need to be removed during downstream processing. Preferably, the “leave on” solubility tag is capable of providing additional functionality (beyond inclusion body formation) to the peptide of interest. Such multi-functional “leave on” solubility tags would significantly reduce the cost of manufacture and provide a higher value product

Small peptides may be used in material science applications based on their ability to bind to a target material. These “target surface-binding peptides” may be used to prepare peptide-based reagents (e.g., peptides of interest) designed to couple or deliver a benefit agent to the target material. Peptide-based reagents have been used to target cosmetic benefit agents to a variety of body surfaces (U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,220,405; 7,309,482; 7,285,264 and 7,807,141; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005-0226839 A1; 2007-0196305 A1; 2006-0199206 A1; 2007-0065387 A1; 2008-0107614 A1; 2007-0110686 A1; 2006-0073111 A1; 2010-0158846; 2010-0158847; and 2010-0247589; and published PCT applications WO2008/054746; WO2004/048399; and WO2008/073368).

The problem to be solved is to provide a solubility tag that is (1) effective in preparing fusion proteins which accumulate in an insoluble form within the host cell (i.e., forming inclusion bodies), and (2) does not need to be cleaved from the fusion proteins prior to the intended use (i.e., the presence of the solubility tag in the fusion peptide/protein does not adversely impact the desired functionality of the polypeptide/protein of interest). In a preferred embodiment of the problem to be solved, the solubility tag is not removed and also provides an additional beneficial property (in addition to driving the formation of inclusion bodies) to the fusion peptide comprising a peptide of interest. Preferably the additional or enhanced property is the ability to control and/or enhance deposition and/or the binding properties of the fusion peptide for the desired target surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Methods and compositions are provided comprising a fusion peptide having a peptide of interest (POI) coupled to at least one multi-functional peptide solubility tag (“multi-functional inclusion body tag”) that when present in the fusion protein (1) promotes inclusion body formation within the host cell, and (2) provides an additional functionality to the fusion protein comprising the peptide of interest. As such, the present multi-functional includion body tags are not removed from the fusion peptide. In one aspect, the additional functionality provided by the “leave-on tag” is a controllable and reversible solubility enabling easier downstream processing, a binding functionality for a target material, or a combination of both. In a preferred aspect, the additional functionality of the leave-on tag is a binding affinity for a first target material while the peptide of interest provide a binding functionality for a second target material, wherein the first and second target materials are not the same.

In one embodiment, a method is provided comprising:

a) providing a microbial host cell comprising a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding an insoluble fusion peptide comprising at least one first portion and at least one second portion, wherein said first portion comprises a multi-functional solubility tag and said second portion comprises a peptide of interest; wherein the multi-functional solubility tag has the general formula of:

-   -   i) SEQ ID NO: 1-Spacer-[[SEQ ID NO: 1]-[Spacer]_(m)]_(n) or     -   ii) SEQ ID NO: 2-Spacer-[[SEQ ID NO: 2]-[Spacer]_(m)]_(n)     -   wherein     -   SEQ ID NO: 1 is

Xaa1-Gln-[Xaa2]_(p)-[Phe-Xaa3-Xaa4-Xaa5]_(s)-Phe-Xaa6- [Xaa7]_(q)-[Gln]_(r);

-   -    and     -   SEQ ID NO: 2 is

Xaa1-Gln-Xaa8-[Xaa4--Xaa8]_(s)-Phe-[Glu-Gln-Gln]_(r);

-   -   wherein     -   Xaa1=Gln or His     -   Xaa2=Gln, Arg, His, or Lys;     -   Xaa3=Gln, His, Lys, Arg, or Glu;     -   Xaa4=Trp or Phe     -   Xaa5=Gln, His, Lys, Arg or Glu;     -   Xaa6=Glu, Gln, or Arg;     -   Xaa7=Gln or Lys;     -   Xaa8=Asp, Glu, Gln, His, Lys, or Arg;     -   p, q, and r are independently 0 or 1;     -   s is an integer ranging from 1 to 5;     -   n is an integer ranging from 1 to 10;     -   m=n−1; and     -   Spacer=a peptide linker ranging from 1 to 100 amino acids in         length.

b) growing the microbial host cell under conditions whereby the insoluble fusion peptide is produced within the microbial host cell in the form of at least one inclusion body;

c) recovering the insoluble fusion peptide from the microbial host cell;

d) subjecting the insoluble fusion peptide to an aqueous medium having a first set of conditions whereby the insoluble fusion peptide becomes a soluble fusion peptide; and

e) contacting the soluble fusion peptide with a first target material having a surface whereby the fusion peptide non-covalently associates with the surface of the first target material; wherein the association between the fusion peptide and the first target material is dependent upon, or enhanced by, the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag.

In another embodiment, the present method(s) comprise a multi-functional inclusion body tag selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: IBT187.1 (SEQ ID NO: 4), IBT139 (SEQ ID NO: 14), IBT201 (SEQ ID NO: 15), IBT202 (SEQ ID NO: 16), IBT203 (SEQ ID NO: 17), IBT204 (SEQ ID NO: 18), IBT205 (SEQ ID NO: 19), IBT206 (SEQ ID NO: 20), IBT207 (SEQ ID NO: 21), IBT208 (SEQ ID NO: 22), IBT209 (SEQ ID NO: 23), IBT210 (SEQ ID NO: 24), IBT212 (SEQ ID NO: 25), IBT214 (SEQ ID NO: 26), IBT216 (SEQ ID NO: 27), IBT218 (SEQ ID NO: 28), IBT220 (SEQ ID NO: 29), IBT222 (SEQ ID NO: 30), IBT223 (SEQ ID NO: 31), IBT224 (SEQ ID NO: 32), IBT225 (SEQ ID NO: 33), IBT229 (SEQ ID NO: 34), IBT230 (SEQ ID NO: 35), IBT232 (SEQ ID NO: 36), IBT233 (SEQ ID NO: 37), IBT239 (SEQ ID NO: 38), IBT241 (SEQ ID NO: 39), IBT242 (SEQ ID NO: 40), IBT247 (SEQ ID NO: 41), IBT248 (SEQ ID NO: 42), IBT249 (SEQ ID NO: 43), IBT254 (SEQ ID NO: 44), IBT255 (SEQ ID NO: 45), IBT258 (SEQ ID NO: 46), IBT259 (SEQ ID NO: 47), IBT260 (SEQ ID NO: 48), IBT261 (SEQ ID NO: 49), IBT262 (SEQ ID NO: 50, IBT263 (SEQ ID NO: 51), IBT282 (SEQ ID NO: 52), IBT283 (SEQ ID NO: 53), IBT284 (SEQ ID NO: 54), IBT287 (SEQ ID NO: 55), IBT289 (SEQ ID NO: 56), IBT290 (SEQ ID NO: 57), IBT294 (SEQ ID NO: 58), IBT295 (SEQ ID NO: 59), IBT297 (SEQ ID NO: 60), IBT298 (SEQ ID NO: 61), IBT299 (SEQ ID NO: 62), IBT310 (SEQ ID NO: 63), IBT311 (SEQ ID NO: 64), IBT312 (SEQ ID NO: 65), IBT313 (SEQ ID NO: 66), IBT314 (SEQ ID NO: 67), IBT315 (SEQ ID NO: 68), IBT316 (SEQ ID NO: 69), IBT317 (SEQ ID NO: 70), IBT320 (SEQ ID NO: 71), IBT321 (SEQ ID NO: 72), IBT326 (SEQ ID NO: 73), IBT327 (SEQ ID NO: 74), IBT332 (SEQ ID NO: 75), IBT334 (SEQ ID NO: 76), and IBT340 (SEQ ID NO: 77).

In another embodiment, a multi-function solubility tag is provided selected from the group consisting of: IBT205 (SEQ ID NO: 19), IBT206 (SEQ ID NO: 20), IBT207 (SEQ ID NO: 21), IBT208 (SEQ ID NO: 22), IBT209 (SEQ ID NO: 23), IBT210 (SEQ ID NO: 24), IBT212 (SEQ ID NO: 25), IBT214 (SEQ ID NO: 26), IBT216 (SEQ ID NO: 27), IBT218 (SEQ ID NO: 28), IBT220 (SEQ ID NO: 29), IBT222 (SEQ ID NO: 30), IBT233 (SEQ ID NO: 37), IBT242 (SEQ ID NO: 40), IBT248 (SEQ ID NO: 42), IBT249 (SEQ ID NO: 43), IBT254 (SEQ ID NO: 44), IBT255 (SEQ ID NO: 45), IBT258 (SEQ ID NO: 46), IBT259 (SEQ ID NO: 47), IBT261 (SEQ ID NO: 49), IBT262 (SEQ ID NO: 50, IBT263 (SEQ ID NO: 51), IBT299 (SEQ ID NO: 62), IBT310 (SEQ ID NO: 63), IBT311 (SEQ ID NO: 64), IBT312 (SEQ ID NO: 65), IBT313 (SEQ ID NO: 66), IBT314 (SEQ ID NO: 67), IBT315 (SEQ ID NO: 68), IBT316 (SEQ ID NO: 69), IBT317 (SEQ ID NO: 70), IBT320 (SEQ ID NO: 71), IBT321 (SEQ ID NO: 72), IBT326 (SEQ ID NO: 73), IBT327 (SEQ ID NO: 74), IBT332 (SEQ ID NO: 75), IBT334 (SEQ ID NO: 76), and IBT340 (SEQ ID NO: 77).

In another embodiment, a multi-functional inclusion body tag is provided comprising at least one core motif having an amino acid sequence selected form the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 80, 85, 86, 87, 88, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 100, and 101.

Fusion peptides comprising the present multi-functional solubility tags and/or core motifs may be incorporated into various compositions. As such, a composition is also provided comprising a fusion peptide comprising at least one multi-functional solubility tag as defined above.

In another embodiment, a composition comprising a particle comprising the at least one of the present fusion peptides is also provided. In a preferred embodiment, the particle comprises an average particle size of 100 nm to 10 μm as measured by a light scattering method. In a further aspect, the particle is partially or completely coated with one or more of the present fusion peptides.

In another embodiment, a personal care product is provided comprising a fusion peptide comprising at least one multi-functional solubility tag as defined above.

In another embodiment, the personal care product is selected from the group consisting of a shampoos, hair gels, hair sprays, mousses, hair coloring products, hair bleaching products, hair conditioners, body washes, skin creams, lotions, skin moisturizer, sunscreens, tonics, toothpastes, dental creams, tooth gels, tooth powders, mouth washes, breath fresheners, and dental floss.

In another embodiment, the multi-functional inclusion body tag (IBT)has affinity for a first target material while the peptide of interest (POI) has affinity for a second target material, wherein the first and second target materials are not the same. As such, the fusion peptide acts as an interfacial peptide bridge coupling the first target material to a second target material. The target material(s) may vary and may include in certain embodiments films, particles, and coated particles. In one embodiment, the target material is a pigment (such as lakes, insoluble organic pigment, insoluble inorganic pigment), a body tissue, a cell surface receptor, a body tissue suitable for cosmetic personal care products (e.g., hair, skin, nail, teeth and other oral cavity tissues), a body tissue for medical or veterinary applications, a plant tissue (e.g., seeds, leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, etc.), a polymer (such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, poly methyl methacrylate, polyethersulfone, polyimide, polyamide, aramids (e.g., poly para-phenylene terephthalamide (“KEVLAR®”) and poly meta-phenylene terephthalamide (“NOMEX®”)), poly urethanes, and polysaccharides (e.g. cellulose, cellulosic materials, starch, chitin)), minerals (e.g. silica, silicates, micas, titanium dioxide, alumina, iron oxides, clays), and metals (e.g., gold, silver), carbon surfaces such as carbon black, graphite and carbon nanotubes, to name a few.

In another embodiment, an affinity media is provided comprising a fusion peptide having at least one multi-functional solubilty tag as defined above. In a further aspect, the affinity media comprises a solid support comprising a material selected from the group consisting of a pigment, a plant tissue, a polymer, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyethersulfone, polyimide, polyamide, aramids, poly para-phenylene terephthalamide, poly meta-phenylene terephthalamide, poly urethane, polysaccharides, cellulose, starch, chitin, minerals, silica, silicates, micas, titanium dioxide, alumina, iron oxides, clays, metals, gold, silver, carbon, carbon black, graphite and carbon nanotubes. In a further aspect, the solid support is in the form of a resin, a membrane, a filter, a bead, a fiber, a foam, a film or any combination thereof.

The affinity media comprising at least one of the present fusion peptides may be used in a method to obtain a material from an aqueous matrix. As such, a method is provided comprising:

a) providing an aqueous matrix comprising a target material to be obtained from the aqueous matrix; and

b) contacting the aqueous matrix with the affinity media described above whereby the target material binds to the fusion protein. In a preferred aspect, the above method further comprises step (c), eluting the bound target material from the affinity media.

In another embodiment, a biomedical or tissue engineering composition comprising one or more of the present fusion peptides or a composition comprising a particle comprising one or the present fusion peptides is also provided. In one embodiment, the portion of the fusion peptide comprising the multi-functional inclusion body tag is capable of forming a hydrogel and the second portion of the fusion peptide has affinity for a body tissue and/or a cell surface receptor. In a further embodiment, the second portion having affinity for the cell surface receptor comprises at least one RGD peptide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is the map of plasmid pLR548 (Example 1, SEQ ID NO: 78)

FIG. 2 is the map of plasmid pLD001-233 (Example 1, SEQ ID NO: 79)

FIG. 3 comprises an image of spins tubes illustrating the effects of the various fusion peptides on binding two different surfaces together non-covalently. Only peptides with specific binding domains for the two respective surfaces can anchor the particles together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE BIOLOGICAL SEQUENCES

The following sequences comply with 37 C.F.R. 1.821-1.825 (“Requirements for Patent Applications Containing Nucleotide Sequences and/or Amino Acid Sequence Disclosures—the Sequence Rules”) and are consistent with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Standard ST. 25 (1998) and the sequence listing requirements of the EPC and PCT (Rules 5.2 and 49.5 (a bis), and Section 208 and Annex C of the Administrative Instructions). The symbols and format used for nucleotide and amino acid sequence data comply with the rules set forth in 37 C.F.R. §1.822.

SEQ ID NO: 1 is the amino acid sequence a structural formula for multi-functional inclusion body tags.

SEQ ID NO: 2 is the amino acid sequence a structural formula for multi-functional inclusion body tags.

SEQ ID NO: 3 is the nucleic acid sequence of a polynucleotide encoding IBT187.1.

SEQ ID NO: 4 is the amino acid sequence of IBT187.1.

SEQ ID NO: 5 is the nucleic acid sequence encoding the peptide of interest HC263.

SEQ ID NO: 6 is the amino acid sequence of the peptide of interest HC263.

SEQ ID NO: 7 is the nucleic acid sequence encoding fusion peptide IBT187.HC263.

SEQ ID NO: 8 is the amino acid sequence of fusion peptide IBT187.HC263.

SEQ ID NO: 9 is the nucleic acid sequence encoding fusion peptide IBT187.H2-TonB.G3.

SEQ ID NO: 10 is the amino acid sequence of fusion peptide IBT187.H2-TonB.G3.

SEQ ID NO: 11 is the nucleic acid sequence of a polynucleotide encoding IBT233.

SEQ ID NO: 12 is the nucleic acid sequence encoding fusion peptide IBT233.HC263.

SEQ ID NO: 13 is the amino acid sequence of fusion peptide IBT233.HC263.

SEQ ID NO: 14 is the amino acid sequence of IBT139.

SEQ ID NO: 15 is the amino acid sequence of IBT201.

SEQ ID NO: 16 is the amino acid sequence of IBT202.

SEQ ID NO: 17 is the amino acid sequence of IBT203.

SEQ ID NO: 18 is the amino acid sequence of IBT204.

SEQ ID NO: 19 is the amino acid sequence of IBT205.

SEQ ID NO: 20 is the amino acid sequence of IBT206.

SEQ ID NO: 21 is the amino acid sequence of IBT207.

SEQ ID NO: 22 is the amino acid sequence of IBT208.

SEQ ID NO: 23 is the amino acid sequence of IBT209.

SEQ ID NO: 24 is the amino acid sequence of IBT210.

SEQ ID NO: 25 is the amino acid sequence of IBT212.

SEQ ID NO: 26 is the amino acid sequence of IBT214.

SEQ ID NO: 27 is the amino acid sequence of IBT216.

SEQ ID NO: 28 is the amino acid sequence of IBT218.

SEQ ID NO: 29 is the amino acid sequence of IBT220.

SEQ ID NO: 30 is the amino acid sequence of IBT222.

SEQ ID NO: 31 is the amino acid sequence of IBT223.

SEQ ID NO: 32 is the amino acid sequence of IBT224.

SEQ ID NO: 33 is the amino acid sequence of IBT225.

SEQ ID NO: 34 is the amino acid sequence of IBT229.

SEQ ID NO: 35 is the amino acid sequence of IBT230.

SEQ ID NO: 36 is the amino acid sequence of IBT232.

SEQ ID NO: 37 is the amino acid sequence of IBT233.

SEQ ID NO: 38 is the amino acid sequence of IBT239.

SEQ ID NO: 39 is the amino acid sequence of IBT241.

SEQ ID NO: 40 is the amino acid sequence of IBT242.

SEQ ID NO: 41 is the amino acid sequence of IBT247.

SEQ ID NO: 42 is the amino acid sequence of IBT248.

SEQ ID NO: 43 is the amino acid sequence of IBT249.

SEQ ID NO: 44 is the amino acid sequence of IBT254.

SEQ ID NO: 45 is the amino acid sequence of IBT255.

SEQ ID NO: 46 is the amino acid sequence of IBT258.

SEQ ID NO: 47 is the amino acid sequence of IBT259.

SEQ ID NO: 48 is the amino acid sequence of IBT260.

SEQ ID NO: 49 is the amino acid sequence of IBT261.

SEQ ID NO: 50 is the amino acid sequence of IBT262.

SEQ ID NO: 51 is the amino acid sequence of IBT263.

SEQ ID NO: 52 is the amino acid sequence of IBT282.

SEQ ID NO: 53 is the amino acid sequence of IBT283.

SEQ ID NO: 54 is the amino acid sequence of IBT284.

SEQ ID NO: 55 is the amino acid sequence of IBT287.

SEQ ID NO: 56 is the amino acid sequence of IBT289.

SEQ ID NO: 57 is the amino acid sequence of IBT290.

SEQ ID NO: 58 is the amino acid sequence of IBT294.

SEQ ID NO: 59 is the amino acid sequence of IBT295.

SEQ ID NO: 60 is the amino acid sequence of IBT297.

SEQ ID NO: 61 is the amino acid sequence of IBT298.

SEQ ID NO: 62 is the amino acid sequence of IBT299.

SEQ ID NO: 63 is the amino acid sequence of IBT310.

SEQ ID NO: 64 is the amino acid sequence of IBT311.

SEQ ID NO: 65 is the amino acid sequence of IBT312.

SEQ ID NO: 66 is the amino acid sequence of IBT313.

SEQ ID NO: 67 is the amino acid sequence of IBT314.

SEQ ID NO: 68 is the amino acid sequence of IBT315.

SEQ ID NO: 69 is the amino acid sequence of IBT316.

SEQ ID NO: 70 is the amino acid sequence of IBT317.

SEQ ID NO: 71 is the amino acid sequence of IBT320.

SEQ ID NO: 72 is the amino acid sequence of IBT321.

SEQ ID NO: 73 is the amino acid sequence of IBT326.

SEQ ID NO: 74 is the amino acid sequence of IBT327.

SEQ ID NO: 75 is the amino acid sequence of IBT332.

SEQ ID NO: 76 is the amino acid sequence of IBT334.

SEQ ID NO: 77 is the amino acid sequence of IBT340.

SEQ ID NO: 78 is the nucleic acid sequence of plasmid pLR548.

SEQ ID NO: 79 is the nucleic acid sequence of plasmid pLD001.233.

SEQ ID NOs: 80-104 are the amino acid sequences of core motifs found in at least one of the multi-functional inclusion body tags.

SEQ ID NOs: 105-392 are the amino acid sequences of exemplary peptides that to bind at least one body surface including hair (SEQ ID NOs: 105-231), skin (SEQ ID NOs: 227-279), nail (SEQ ID NOs: 280-281), and tooth (SEQ ID NOs: 282-392).

SEQ ID NOs: 393-421 are the amino acid sequences of exemplary antimicrobial peptides.

SEQ ID NOs: 422-446 are the amino acid sequences of exemplary pigment binding peptides.

SEQ ID NOs: 447-452 are exemplary cellulose-binding peptides.

SEQ ID NOs: 453-479 are the amino acid sequences of exemplary polymer binding peptides. Specifically, SEQ ID NO: 453 binds to poly(ethylene terephthalate), SEQ ID NOs: 454-464 bind to poly(methyl methacrylate), SEQ ID NOs: 465-470 bind to Nylon, and SEQ ID NOs: 471-479 bind to poly(tetrafluoroethylene).

SEQ ID NOs: 480-495 are the amino acid sequences of exemplary clay binding peptides.

SEQ ID NO: 496 is the amino acid sequence of “AuBD”, a peptide having affinity for gold.

SEQ ID NO: 497 is the amino acid sequence of fusion peptide IBT255.AuBD.

SEQ ID NO: 498 is the amino acid sequence of synthetic peptide HC353 (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010-0158837; hereby incorporated by reference).

SEQ ID NO: 499 is the amino acid sequence of fusion peptide IBT255.HC263.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Compositions and methods directed to the use of a multi-functional solubility tag as a component of fusion peptide/protein are provided herein, wherein the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag in the fusion peptide facilitates:

(i) producing the fusion peptide in an insoluble form (i.e., induces inclusion body formation) within a recombinant host cell;

(ii) controlling fusion peptide solubility (once recovered from the recombinant host cell) upon modulation of physio-chemical conditions;

(iii) providing new or enhanced surface active properties; and

(iv) increasing the overall efficiency of production.

The presence of the solubility tag in a fusion peptide provides additional beneficial functionality beyond inclusion body formation. As such, the present multi-functional solubility tags are not removed (“leave-on” peptide tags; “LOTs”) from the fusion peptide and remain part of the desired peptidic fusion product.

In one embodiment, the methods and present compositions are useful for the recombinant expression and recovery of any bioactive peptides and proteins. Such peptides/proteins typically have high value in any number of applications including, but not limited to, medical, biomedical, diagnostic, personal care, and affinity applications where the peptides of interest are used as linkers to various surfaces.

In this disclosure, a number of terms and abbreviations are used. The following definitions apply unless specifically stated otherwise. Unless otherwise noted, all U.S. Patents and U.S. Patent Applications referenced herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

As used herein, the articles “a”, “an”, and “the” preceding an element or component of the invention are intended to be nonrestrictive regarding the number of instances (i.e., occurrences) of the element or component. Therefore “a”, “an” and “the” should be read to include one or at least one, and the singular word form of the element or component also includes the plural unless the number is obviously meant to be singular.

The term “comprising” means the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, or components as referred to in the claims, but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, components or groups thereof. The term “comprising” is intended to include embodiments encompassed by the terms “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”. Similarly, the term “consisting essentially of” is intended to include embodiments encompassed by the term “consisting of”.

As used herein, the term “about” modifying the quantity of an ingredient or reactant employed refers to variation in the numerical quantity that can occur, for example, through typical measuring and liquid handling procedures used for making concentrates or use solutions in the real world; through inadvertent error in these procedures; through differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of the ingredients employed to make the compositions or carry out the methods; and the like. The term “about” also encompasses amounts that differ due to different equilibrium conditions for a composition resulting from a particular initial mixture. Whether or not modified by the term “about”, the claims include equivalents to the quantities.

Where present, all ranges are inclusive and combinable. For example, when a range of “1 to 5” is recited, the recited range should be construed as including ranges “1 to 4”, “1 to 3”, “1-2”, “1-2 & 4-5”, “1-3 & 5”, and the like.

As used herein, an “inclusion body” is an intracellular deposit comprising aggregated protein found in the cytoplasm of a cell. A peptide of interest that is typically soluble under the normal physiological conditions within the host cell and/or cell lysates can be fused to one or more of the multi-functional inclusion body tags to facilitate formation of an insoluble fusion protein. In another embodiment, the peptide of interest may be partially insoluble in the host cell, but produced at relatively lows levels where significant inclusion body formation does not occur. As such, the formation of inclusion bodies will increase peptide production. In a further embodiment, fusion of the peptide of interest to one or more multi-functional inclusion body tags increases the amount of protein produced in the host cell. Formation of the inclusion body facilitates simple and efficient purification of the fusion peptide from the cell lysate using techniques well known in the art such as centrifugation and filtration.

As used herein, the terms “inclusion body tag” and “solubility tag” will be abbreviated “IBT” and will refer a peptide/polypeptide that facilitates formation of inclusion bodies when fused to a peptide of interest. The peptide of interest is typically soluble within the host cell and/or host cell lysate when not fused to an inclusion body tag. Fusion of the peptide of interest to the inclusion body tag produces a fusion protein that agglomerates into intracellular bodies (inclusion bodies) within the host cell.

As used herein, the terms “multi-functional tag”, “multi-functional solubility tag”, “multi-functional inclusion body tag”, “leave-on tag”, and “LOT” will refer to an inclusion body tag having at least one beneficial functionality beyond inclusion body formation when present in a fusion peptide. As such, the “leave-on tag” is not removed during downstream processing and becomes part of the desired peptidic fusion product. The functionality beyond inclusion body formation may include, but is not limited to, medical, biomedical, diagnostic, personal care, and affinity applications (where the peptides of interest are used as linkers to various surfaces). In one embodiment, the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag in the fusion protein provides the ability to control solubility of the fusion peptide under different physio-chemical conditions. In another embodiment, the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag in the fusion protein provides new or enhanced surface active properties. For example, the “leave on tag” may provide a binding affinity for a first target material or may enhance the binding properties of the peptide of interest (POI) for a first target material. In another embodiment, the multi-functional IBT has affinity for a first target material while the peptide of interest (POI) portion of the fusion peptide has affinity for a second target material. As such, the fusion peptide may be used as a peptidic bridge to couple a first target material to a second target material, wherein the first and second target materials are compositionally different.

As used herein, the term “spacer” will refer to a peptide within the present inclusion body tags used to separate the core motif sequences (SEQ ID NOs: 1, 2, and 80-101). In one embodiment, the spacer is 1-100 amino acids in length, preferably 3 to 60 amino acids in length, and most preferably 3 to 30 amino acids in length and is comprised of any naturally occurring L-amino acids. In one embodiment, the “spacer” is comprised of one or more L-amino acids selected from the group consisting of proline, glycine, arginine, asparagine, glutamic acid, glutamine, serine, tyrosine, tryptophan, alanine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, histidine, lysine, aspartic acid, and combinations thereof.

As used herein, the term “peptide of interest” or “POI” is any peptide that provides a defined desired functionality (that by itself is distinct from the functionality of the multi-functional inclusion body tag), such as a binding affinity for a target material, surface or a specific molecule; a biological activity such as a growth factor or an antimicrobial; a physical modification of a surface to provide charge, hydrophobicity, chelation, dispersion, optical properties such as refractive index, color, UV protection or fluorescence or conditioning agent, and the ability to self assemble in macromolecular structures. The peptide of interest may comprise one or more distinct surface binding domains. The peptide of interest is soluble and/or difficult to accumulate within the microbial host cell when not produced in the form of a fusion peptide comprising at least one of the present multi-functional inclusion body tags.

As used herein, the terms “fusion protein”, “fusion peptide”, “chimeric protein”, and “chimeric peptide” will be used interchangeably and will refer to a polymer of amino acids (peptide, oligopeptide, polypeptide, or protein) comprising at least two portions, each portion comprising distinct function(s). The present fusion peptides comprise at least one multi-functional solubility tag and at least one peptide of interest, wherein the presence of the mulit-functional inclusion body tag provides additional functionality (beyond inclusion body formation) to the fusion peptide. Means to prepare peptides synthetically at small scale are well known in the art (see, for example, Stewart et al., Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis, Pierce Chemical Co., Rockford, Ill., 1984; Bodanszky, Principles of Peptide Synthesis, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1984; and Pennington et al., Peptide Synthesis Protocols, Humana Press, Totowa, N.J., 1994). The various components of the fusion peptides (inclusion body tag, peptide of interest, and the optional peptide “spacers”) described herein can be combined using carbodiimide coupling agents (see for example, Hermanson, Greg T., Bioconiuqate Techniques, Academic Press, New York (1996)), diacid chlorides, diisocyanates and other difunctional coupling reagents that are reactive to terminal amine and/or carboxylic acid groups on the peptides. However, chemical synthesis is often limited to peptides of less than about 50 amino acids length due to cost and/or impurities. In a preferred embodiment, the biological molecules described herein are prepared using standard recombinant DNA and molecular cloning techniques.

As used herein, the term “altering the physio-chemical conditions” will refer to making alterations to the pH, temperature, ionic composition, ionic strength of the aqueous matrix, and any combination thereof that facilitates controlled solubility of the fusion peptide comprising the multi-functional inclusion body tag. Under normal physiological conditions within the recombinant microbial host cell (typically an intracellular pH of about 6.5-about 8.0, preferably about 7.5 to about 8.0 for most neutrophiles) the multi-functional inclusion body tag induces inclusion body formation. The fusion peptide may be subjected to altered physio-chemical conditions (typically after the fusion peptide has been recovered from the host cell) to control the solubility, wherein the presence of the leave-on tag alters the solubility profile of the fusion peptide. The physio-chemical conditions may be altered one or more times to dissolve or precipitate the fusion peptide. In one embodiment, solubilized fusion peptide (in the presence of a target material) may be exposed to physio-chemical conditions that induces or enhances deposition/binding of the fusion peptide to the surface of the target material. Physico-chemical conditions that can be modified to promote the solubility or the insolubility of a fusion peptide (typically once received from the cell) may include pH, medium conductivity, salts, metal ions, polyvalent ions, chaotropes, surfactants, solvents, fusion peptide concentration, rheology modifiers, thickeners and temperature.

As used herein, the term “medium” may mean fermentation medium or a suspension medium. The fermentation medium is the medium which supports the growth of fusion peptide-producing cells. The medium is typically aqueous but may also include a water-oil emulsion. As used herein, the term “aqueous medium” refers to a medium comprising water. The solubility state of the fusion peptides recovered from the host cell is controlled by altering the physio-chemical conditions within an aqueous medium comprising the fusion peptide. Different sets of physio-chemical conditions may used and may be generally separated into three general categories: (1) a set of conditions that promotes solubility, (2) a set of conditions that promotes insolubility, and (3) a set of conditions thay may promote or enhance deposition of the fusion peptide to a target material surface (i.e., the target material is contacted with a medium comprising the fusion peptide).

As used herein, the term “benefit agent” refers to a material that promotes or enhances a useful advantage, a favorable/desirable effect or benefit. The benefit agent may be a fusion peptide or a molecule or a material associated with (or coupled to) a portion of the fusion peptide. Examples of benefits agents may include, but are not limited to conditioners, pigments, dyes, fragrances, whitening agents, bleaching agents, enzymes, pharmaceutical agents (e.g., targeted delivery of cancer treatment agents), diagnostic/labeling agents, ultraviolet light blocking agents (i.e., active agents in sunscreen protectants), affinity media, particles, and antimicrobial agents (e.g., antimicrobial peptides), to name a few.

As used herein, the term “target material” will refer to a material that receives or delivers a beneficial or desired property upon the presence of the fusion peptide. In one embodiment, the fusion peptide has affinity for a target material wherein the binding functionality is dependent upon the presence of the multi-functional inclusion boy tag (IBT), the peptide of interest (POI), or a combination of the IBT and POI. In one embodiment, the presence of the multi-functional IBT enhances the binding affinity of a POI having affinity for a target material. In another embodiment, the multi-functional IBT has affinity for a target surface and the portion of the fusion peptide comprising the peptide of interest is a benefit agent, such as a conditioning agent or antimicrobial agent (e.g., antimicrobial peptide).

The target material(s) may vary and may include in certain embodiments films, particles, and coated particles. In one embodiment, the target material may include a pigment (such as lakes, insoluble organic pigment, insoluble inorganic pigment), a body tissue suitable for cosmetic personal care products (e.g., hair, skin, nail, teeth and other oral cavity tissues), a body tissue for medical or veterinary applications, a plant tissue (e.g., seeds, leaves, stems, flowers, fruit, etc.), a polymer (such as polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, poly methyl methacrylate, polyethersulfone, polyimide, polyamide, aramids (e.g., poly para-phenylene terephthalamide (“KEVLAR®”) and poly meta-phenylene terephthalamide (NOMEX®)), poly urethanes, and polysaccharides (e.g. cellulose, cellulosic materials, starch, chitin)), minerals (e.g. silica, silicates, micas, titanium dioxide, alumina, iron oxides, clays), and metals (e.g., gold, silver), carbon surfaces such as carbon black, graphite and carbon nanotubes, to name a few.

As used herein, the term “pigment” refers to an insoluble, organic or inorganic colorant.

As used herein, the term “hair” as used herein refers to mammalian hair. In one embodiment, the “hair” is preferably human hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.

As used herein, the term “skin” as used herein refers to mammalian skin. In one embodiment, the “skin” is preferably human skin, or substitutes for human skin, such as pig skin, VITRO-SKIN® and EPIDERM™.

As used herein, the term “nails” as used herein refers to mammalian nails, such as fingernails, toenails and other keratinaceious nail materials. In one embodiment, the “nails” are preferably human fingernails and/ortoenails.

As used herein, the term “strong affinity” or “high affinity” will refer to a binding affinity having a K_(D) or MB₅₀ value of less than or equal to about 10⁻⁵ M, preferably less than or equal to about 10⁻⁶ M, more preferably less than or equal to about 10⁻⁷ M, more preferably less than or equal to about 10⁻⁸ M, even more preferably less than or equal to about 10⁻⁹ M, or most preferably less than or equal to about 10⁻¹⁰ M.

As used herein, “K_(D)” corresponds to the concentration of peptide at which the binding site on the target is half occupied, i.e., when the concentration of target with peptide bound (bound target material) equals the concentration of target with no peptide bound. The smaller the dissociation constant, the more tightly the peptide is bound. For example, a peptide with a nanomolar (nM) dissociation constant binds more tightly than a peptide with a micromolar (μM) dissociation constant. Certain embodiments of the invention will have a K_(D) value of 10⁻⁵ or less.

As used herein, “MB₅₀” refers to the concentration of the binding peptide that gives a signal that is 50% of the maximum signal obtained in an ELISA-based binding assay. See, e.g., Example 3 of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/022683; hereby incorporated by reference. The MB₅₀ provides an indication of the strength of the binding interaction or affinity of the components of the complex. The lower the value of MB₅₀, the stronger, i.e., “better,” the interaction of the peptide with its corresponding substrate. For example, a peptide with a nanomolar (nM) MB₅₀ binds more tightly than a peptide with a micromolar (μM) MB₅₀. Certain embodiments of the invention will have a MB₅₀ value of 10⁻⁵ M or less.

As used herein, the terms “bind”, “binding”, and “coupling” are used interchangeably and is meant to convey an association between a fusion peptide and a surface on a target material though a variety of non-covalent interactions, such as ionic bond-based (electrostatic interaction), hydrogen bond-based, hydrophobic bond-based, chelation based, biological specific affinity, a general aggregation or the formation of tertiary or quaternary structures or a combination thereof, but does not include, by proviso, covalent binding.

As used herein, the term “affinity peptide” or “target surface-binding peptide” refers to a peptide having strong affinity for a particular target material or compound. Examples may include, but are not limited to, body surface-binding peptides, pigment-binding peptides, polymer-binding peptides, various mineral-binding peptides, clay-binding peptides, cotton-binding peptides, cellulose-binding peptides, and metal-binding peptides.

As used herein, a “body surface-binding peptide” is an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to a specified body surface. Examples may include, but are not limited to, hair-binding peptides, skin-binding peptides, nail-binding peptides, and tooth-binding peptides.

As used herein, a “hair-binding peptide” is an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to hair.

As used herein, a “skin-binding peptide” is an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to skin.

As used herein, a “nail-binding peptide” is an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to fingernail or toenail.

As used herein, a “tooth-binding peptide” is an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to tooth enamel and/or tooth pellicle. In a preferred embodiment, the tooth-binding peptide binds with high affinity to tooth enamel.

As used herein, an “antimicrobial peptide” is a peptide having the ability to kill microbial cell populations (U.S. Pat. No. 7,427,656; hereby incorporated by reference). The amino acid sequences of exemplary antimicrobial peptides are provided as SEQ ID NOs: 393-421.

As used herein, “cellulose-binding peptide” refers to an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to cellulose. Exemplary cellulose-binding peptides are provided as SEQ ID NOs: 447-452.

As used herein, “clay-binding peptide” refers to a peptide that binds with high affinity to clay. Exemplary clay-binding peptides are provided as SEQ ID NOs: 480-495.

As used herein, “pigment-binding peptide” refers to an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to a pigment, Examples of pigment-binding peptides are provided as SEQ ID NOs: 422-446.

As used herein, “polymer-binding peptide” refers to an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to at least one specified polymer. Examples of polymer-binding peptides are provided herein as SEQ ID NOs: 453-479.

As used herein, “metal-binding peptide” refers to an affinity peptide that binds with high affinity to at least one metal. Examples of metal-binding peptides may include, but are not limited to, gold-binding peptides and silver-binding peptides.

As used herein, the term “operably linked” refers to the association of nucleic acid sequences on a single nucleic acid fragment so that the function of one is affected by the other. For example, a promoter is operably linked with a coding sequence when it is capable of affecting the expression of that coding sequence (i.e., that the coding sequence is under the transcriptional control of the promoter). In a further embodiment, the definition of “operably linked” may also be extended to describe the products of chimeric genes, such as fusion peptides. As such, “operably linked” will also refer to the linking of a “leave on” multi-functional solubility tag to a peptide of interest (POI) to be produced, recovered and used as such or for an aqueous composition or formulation.

As used herein, the term “bioactive” refers to peptides that cause a biological response and may be used in a variety of applications including, but not limited to curative agents for diseases (e.g., insulin, interferon, interleukins, anti-angiogenic peptides) (U.S. Pat. No. 6,815,426), antimicrobial or toxin.

As used herein, the term “solubility” refers to the amount of a substance that can be dissolved in a unit volume of a liquid under specified conditions. In the present application, the term “solubility” is used to describe the ability of a peptide/fusion peptide to be resuspended in a volume of solubilization medium, e.g. (an aqueous medium such as a buffer medium) used in biochemical applications and may include Tris, saline, MES, and the like. In one embodiment, a peptide may be defined as soluble in a defined medium when it remains in solution after centrifuging the peptide-containing solution for 5 minutes at 15000 rpm (rcf=21130 g) in a standard tabletop microcentrifuge. The POI, when not coupled to the multi-functional inclusion body tag, is soluble within the host cell and/or cell lysate under normal physiological conditions. As used herein, the term “normal physiological conditions within the host cell” may be defined as an aqueous matrix having a pH of about 6.5 to about 8.0 (typical for neutrophiles) at a temperature suitable for growth of the recombinant host cell. One of ordinary skill in the art can easily determine the physiological conditions within the particule host cell used for recombinant production of the present peptides. Fusion of multi-functional inclusion body tag (IBT) to the POI results in the formation of a fusion peptide that is insoluble under normal physiological conditions within the recombinant host cell, resulting in the formation of at least one inclusion body.

The term “amino acid” refers to the basic chemical structural unit of a protein or polypeptide. The following abbreviations are used herein to identify specific amino acids:

Three-Letter One-Letter Amino Acid Abbreviation Abbreviation Alanine Ala A Arginine Arg R Asparagine Asn N Aspartic acid Asp D Cysteine Cys C Glutamine Gln Q Glutamic acid Glu E Glycine Gly G Histidine His H Isoleucine Ile I Leucine Leu L Lysine Lys K Methionine Met M Phenylalanine Phe F Proline Pro P Serine Ser S Threonine Thr T Tryptophan Trp W Tyrosine Tyr Y Valine Val V Any naturally-occurring amino acid Xaa X (or as defined by the formulas described herein)

As used herein, the term “genetic construct” refers to a series of contiguous nucleic acids useful for modulating the genotype or phenotype of an organism. Examples of genetic constructs include but are not limited to a nucleic acid molecule, and open reading frame, a gene, a plasmid and the like.

As used herein, the terms “host cell” and “recombinant host cell” refer to a microbial cell comprising an expressible heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding a fusion peptide having at least one of the present multi-functional inclusion body tags.

Expressible Peptides of Interest

The peptide of interest (“POI”) targeted for production using the present method is one that is appreciably soluble in the recombinant host cell and/or host cell liquid lysate under normal physiological conditions. In one aspect, the peptides of interest are generally short (<300 amino acids in length) and difficult to recombinantly produce in sufficient amounts due to their solubility and/or exposure to endogenous proteolytic degradation. Fusion of the POI to at least one multi-functional inclusion body tag creates a fusion peptide that is insoluble in the host cell and/or host cell lysate under normal physiological conditions (i.e., inclusion body formation comprising the fusion peptide is observed within the grown host cell). Production of the fusion peptide is typically increased when expressed and accumulated in the form of an insoluble inclusion body as the peptide is generally more protected from endogenous proteolytic degradation. Furthermore, the insoluble fusion peptide can be easily separated from the host cell lysate using a simple separation technique such as centrifugation or filtration. The fusion peptide is not cleaved to remove multi-functional solubility tag that not only facilitates inclusion body formation but also provides surface interactions in downstream applications for forming adducts between two or more surfaces.

In general, the present multi-functional inclusion body tags can be used in a process to produce any peptide of interest that is (1) typically soluble in the cell and/or cell lysate under typical physiological conditions and/or (2) those that can be produced at significantly higher levels when expressed in the form of LOT. In one embodiment, the POI is appreciably soluble in the host cell and/or corresponding cell lysate under normal physiological and/or process conditions.

The length of the POI may vary as long as (1) the POI is appreciably soluble in the host cell and/or cell lysate, and/or (2) the amount of the POI produced is increased when expressed in the form of an insoluble fusion peptide/inclusion body.

The function of the POI is not limited by the present methods and may include, but is not limited to bioactive molecules such as curative agents for diseases (e.g., insulin, interferon, interleukins, peptide hormones, anti-angiogenic peptides, peptide toxins, and peptides (with the proviso that the peptide is not an antibody or an F_(ab) portion of an antibody) that bind to and affect defined cellular targets such as receptors, channels, lipids, cytosolic proteins, and membrane proteins; see U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,089), peptides having an affinity for a particular material such as hair, skin, nail or tooth (see WIPO International Patent Application Publication Nos. WO01/079479, WO04/048399, and WO04/000257; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005-0226839, 2010-0247457, and 2010-0247589; U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,736,633; 7,427,656; 7,309,482; 7,749,957; and 7,807,141), cellulose, iron oxides (U.S. Patent Applicatoin Publication No. 2010-0158837), silica (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010-0158822), various polymers (U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,709,601; 7,700,716; 7,906,617; and 7,632,919; and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007-0264720), calcium carbonate (U.S. Pat. No. 7,754,680), and clay binding peptides (U.S. Pat. No. 7,749,957), for targeted delivery of at least one benefit agent.

Examples of various affinity peptides and/or anti-microbial peptides are provided herein as amino acid sequence: SEQ ID NOs: 105-392 are exemplary body surface-binding peptides, SEQ ID NOs: 393-421 are exemplary antimicrobial peptides, SEQ ID NOs: 422-446 are exemplary pigment-binding peptides, SEQ ID NOs: 447-452 are exemplary cellulose-binding peptides, SEQ ID NOs: 453-479 are exemplary polymer-binding peptides, and SEQ ID NOs: 480-495 are exemplary clay binding peptides.

Manipulations of Physio-chemical Conditions to Control Solubility of Fusion Peptides

The solubility of the fusion peptides may vary from peptide to peptide. Anyone skilled in the practice of protein chemistry can determine conditions necessary to control solubility by carrying out systematic titrations of independent parameters (pH, salt, ionic strength, fusion peptide concentration, etc.) or by a sampling of conditions involving multiple parameters using a statistical design of experiments (Atkinson, A. C. and Donev, A. N. and Tobias, R. D. (2007) Optimum Experimental Designs, With SAS. Oxford University Press, New York, N.Y.). Assays to characterize the physical state of the peptide can include observation for turbidity by eye or with a spectrophotometer at a chosen UV or visible wavelength, sedimentation behavior following centrifugation at a chosen centrifugal force followed by the detection of the peptide in the supernatant or the pellet with a dye assay or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, or by dynamic light scattering measurement with an instrument like the Malvern Zetasizer (Malvern Instruments Ltd, England). In all experiments, additional parameters should be taken into consideration such as the speed of the change of state and the effect of the initial peptide concentration.

Fusion Peptides

The multi-functional inclusion body tags are used to create chimeric polypeptides (“fusion peptides”) that are insoluble when expressed under the physiological conditions within the host cell, forming inclusion bodies. One of skill in the art will recognize that the elements of the fusion protein can be structured in a variety of ways. The fusion protein will include at least one multi-functional inclusion body tag and at least one peptide of interest (POI). The fusion peptide may include one or more peptide spacers separating the core motif sequences within the multi-functional IBT or may include peptide spacers separating the IBT from the POI. The multi-functional inclusion body tag may be positioned as a leader sequence or a terminator sequence relative to the position of the peptide of interest within the fusion peptide. In another embodiment, a plurality of IBTs and POIs are used when engineering the fusion peptide.

The fusion peptide will typically be insoluble in an aqueous environment at a temperature of 0° C. to 50° C. using a pH range from pH 5 to pH 10, preferably 6 to 10, and most preferably 6 to 8. The temperature, pH, and/or ionic strength of the aqueous environment may be adjusted to obtain the desired solubility characteristics of the fusion peptide/inclusion body.

Method to Make a Peptide of Interest Using Insoluble Fusion Peptides

A genetic construct is prepared encoding a fusion peptide comprising at least one “leave-on” multi-functional inclusion body tag and at least one peptide of interest, wherein the tag(s) and the POI(s) may be separated by optional peptide spacers. Expression of the genetic construct encoding the fusion protein produces an insoluble form of the peptide of interest that accumulates in the form of inclusion bodies within the host cell. The host cell is grown for a period of time sufficient for the insoluble fusion peptide to accumulate within the cell.

The host cell is subsequently lysed using any number of techniques well known in the art. The insoluble fusion peptide/inclusion bodies are then separated from the soluble components of the cell lysate using a simple and economical technique, such as centrifugation and/or filtration.

Transformation and Expression

Construction of genetic cassettes and vectors that may be transformed into an appropriate expression host is common and well known in the art. Typically, the vector or cassette contains sequences directing transcription and translation of the relevant chimeric construct, a selectable marker, and sequences allowing autonomous replication or chromosomal integration. Suitable vectors comprise a region 5′ of the gene which harbors transcriptional initiation controls and a region 3′ of the DNA fragment which controls transcriptional termination. It is most preferred when both control regions are derived from genes homologous to the transformed host cell, although it is to be understood that such control regions need not be derived from the genes native to the specific species chosen as a production host.

Transcription initiation control regions or promoters, which are useful to drive expression of the genetic constructs encoding the fusion peptides in the desired host cell are numerous and familiar to those skilled in the art. Virtually any promoter capable of driving these constructs is suitable for the present invention including, but not limited to CYC1, HIS3, GAL1, GAL10, ADH1, PGK, PHO5, GAPDH, ADC1, TRP1, URA3, LEU2, ENO, TPI (useful for expression in Saccharomyces); AOX1 (useful for expression in Pichia); and lac, ara (pBAD), tet, trp, IPL, IPR, T7, tac, and trc (useful for expression in Escherichia coli) as well as the amy, apr, npr promoters and various phage promoters useful for expression in Bacillus.

Termination control regions may also be derived from various genes native to the preferred hosts. Optionally, a termination site may be unnecessary; however, it is most preferred if included.

Preferred host cells for expression of the fusion peptides are microbial hosts that can be found broadly within the fungal or bacterial families and which grow over a wide range of temperature, pH values, and solvent tolerances. Because the transcription, translation, and the protein biosynthetic apparatus is the same irrespective of the cellular feedstock, genes are expressed irrespective of the carbon feedstock used to generate the cellular biomass. Large-scale microbial growth and functional gene expression may utilize a wide range of simple or complex carbohydrates, organic acids and alcohols, saturated hydrocarbons such as methane or carbon dioxide in the case of photosynthetic or chemoautotrophic hosts. The functional genes may be regulated, repressed or depressed by specific growth conditions, which may include the form and amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, oxygen, carbon or any trace micronutrient including small inorganic ions. In addition, the regulation of functional genes may be achieved by the presence or absence of specific regulatory molecules that are added to the culture and are not typically considered nutrient or energy sources. Growth rate may also be an important regulatory factor in gene expression. Examples of host strains include, but are not limited to fungal or yeast species such as Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Saccharomyces, Pichia, Yarrowia, Candida, Hansenula, or bacterial species such as Salmonella, Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Zymomonas, Agrobacterium, Erythrobacter, Chlorobium, Chromatium, Flavobacterium, Cytophaga, Rhodobacter, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces, Brevibacterium, Corynebacteria, Mycobacterium, Deinococcus, Escherichia, Erwinia, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Methylomonas, Methylobacter, Methylococcus, Methylosinus, Methylomicrobium, Methylocystis, Alcaligenes, Synechocystis, Synechococcus, Anabaena, Thiobacillus, Methanobacterium, Klebsiella, and Myxococcus.

Preferred bacterial host strains include Escherichia, Pseudomonas, and Bacillus. In a highly preferred aspect, the bacterial host strain is Escherichia coli.

Fermentation Media

Fermentation media in the present invention must contain suitable carbon substrates. Suitable substrates may include, but are not limited to, monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose, disaccharides such as lactose or sucrose, polysaccharides such as starch or cellulose or mixtures thereof and unpurified mixtures from renewable feedstocks such as cheese whey permeate, cornsteep liquor, sugar beet molasses, and barley malt. It is contemplated that the source of carbon utilized may encompass a wide variety of carbon containing substrates and will only be limited by the choice of organism. Although it is contemplated that all of the above mentioned carbon substrates and mixtures thereof are suitable in the present invention, preferred carbon substrates are glucose, fructose, and sucrose.

In addition to an appropriate carbon source, fermentation media must contain suitable minerals, salts, cofactors, buffers and other components, known to those skilled in the art, suitable for the growth of the cultures and promotion of the expression of the fusion peptides.

Culture Conditions

Suitable culture conditions can be selected dependent upon the chosen production host. Typically, cells are grown at a temperature in the range of about 25° C. to about 40° C. in an appropriate medium. Suitable growth media may include common, commercially-prepared media such as Luria Bertani (LB) broth, Sabouraud Dextrose (SD) broth or Yeast medium (YM) broth. Other defined or synthetic growth media may also be used and the appropriate medium for growth of the particular microorganism will be known by one skilled in the art of microbiology or fermentation science. The use of agents known to modulate catabolite repression directly or indirectly, e.g., cyclic adenosine 2′: 3′-monophosphate, may also be incorporated into the fermentation medium. Suitable pH ranges for the fermentation are typically between pH 5.0 to pH 9.0, where pH 6.0 to pH 8.0 is preferred. Fermentations may be performed under aerobic or anaerobic conditions where aerobic conditions are generally preferred.

Industrial Batch and Continuous Fermentations

A classical batch fermentation is a closed system where the composition of the medium is set at the beginning of the fermentation and not subject to artificial alterations during the fermentation. Thus, at the beginning of the fermentation the medium is inoculated with the desired organism or organisms, and fermentation is permitted to occur without adding anything to the system. Typically, a “batch” fermentation is batch with respect to the addition of carbon source and attempts are often made at controlling factors such as pH and oxygen concentration. In batch systems the metabolite and biomass compositions of the system change constantly up to the time the fermentation is stopped. Within batch cultures cells moderate through a static lag phase to a high growth log phase and finally to a stationary phase where growth rate is diminished or halted. If untreated, cells in the stationary phase will eventually die. Cells in log phase generally are responsible for the bulk of production of end product or intermediate.

A variation on the standard batch system is the Fed-Batch system. Fed-Batch fermentation processes are also suitable in the present invention and comprise a typical batch system with the exception that the substrate is added in increments as the fermentation progresses. Fed-Batch systems are useful when catabolite repression is apt to inhibit the metabolism of the cells and where it is desirable to have limited amounts of substrate in the media. Measurement of the actual substrate concentration in Fed-Batch systems is difficult and is therefore estimated on the basis of the changes of measurable factors such as pH, dissolved oxygen and the partial pressure of waste gases such as CO₂. Batch and Fed-Batch fermentations are common and well known in the art and examples may be found in Thomas D. Brock in Biotechnology: A Textbook of Industrial Microbiology, Second Edition (1989) Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, Mass. (hereinafter “Brock”), or Deshpande, Mukund V., Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 36:227 (1992).

Although biomass production may be performed in batch mode, it is contemplated that the production method would be adaptable to continuous fermentation methods. Continuous fermentation is an open system where a defined fermentation medium is added continuously to a bioreactor and an equal amount of conditioned media is removed simultaneously for processing. Continuous fermentation generally maintains the cultures at a constant high density where cells are primarily in log phase growth.

Continuous fermentation allows for the modulation of one factor or any number of factors that affect cell growth or end product concentration. For example, one method will maintain a limiting nutrient such as the carbon source or nitrogen level at a fixed rate and allow all other parameters to moderate. In other systems a number of factors affecting growth can be altered continuously while the cell concentration, measured by media turbidity, is kept constant. Continuous systems strive to maintain steady state growth conditions and thus the cell loss due to the medium being drawn off must be balanced against the cell growth rate in the fermentation.

It is contemplated that the present methods may be practiced using either batch, fed-batch or continuous processes and that any known mode of fermentation would be suitable.

EXAMPLES

The present invention is further defined in the following Examples. It should be understood that these Examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only. From the above discussion and these Examples, one skilled in the art can ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention, and without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various uses and conditions.

The meaning of abbreviations used is as follows: “min” means minute(s), “h” means hour(s), “μL” means microliter(s), “mL” means milliliter(s), “L” means liter(s), “nm” means nanometer(s), “mm” means millimeter(s), “cm” means centimeter(s), “μm” means micrometer(s), “mM” means millimolar, “M” means molar, “mmol” means millimole(s), “μmol” means micromole(s), “pmol” means picomole(s), “g” means gram(s), “μg” means microgram(s), “mg” means milligram(s), “g” means the gravitation constant, “rpm” means revolutions per minute, “DTT” means dithiothreitol, and “cat#” means catalog number.

General Methods

Standard recombinant DNA and molecular cloning techniques used herein are well known in the art and are described by Sambrook, J. and Russell, D., Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual, Third Edition, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (2001); and by Silhavy, T. J., Bennan, M. L. and Enquist, L. W., Experiments with Gene Fusions, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Cold Press Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1984); and by Ausubel, F. M. et. al., Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, 5^(th) Ed. Current Protocols and John Wiley and Sons, Inc., N.Y., 2002.

Materials and methods suitable for the maintenance and growth of bacterial cultures are also well known in the art. Techniques suitable for use in the following Examples may be found in Manual of Methods for General Bacteriology, Phillipp Gerhardt, R. G. E. Murray, Ralph N. Costilow, Eugene W. Nester, Willis A. Wood, Noel R. Krieg and G. Briggs Phillips, eds., American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C., 1994, or in Brock (supra). All reagents, restriction enzymes and materials used for the growth and maintenance of bacterial cells were obtained from BD Diagnostic Systems (Sparks, Md.), Invitrogen (Carlsbad, Calif.), Life Technologies (Rockville, Md.), QIAGEN (Valencia, Calif.) or Sigma-Aldrich Chemical Company (St. Louis, Mo.), unless otherwise specified.

Example 1 Expression Plasmid Constructs

The purpose of this example is to describe a generic construction of a plasmid encoding for the expression of a LOT peptide.

The region downstream of the promoter in each of the vectors was designed to facilitate and simplify swapping of the DNA constructs encoding multi-functional solubility tags (alone or in combination with the peptide of interest (POI). In general, the nucleic acid molecules were designed to include the appropriate NdeI/BamHIH (for region encoding the multi-functional solubility tags) and BamHI/AscI restriction sites (for region encoding POI) to facilitate insertion in the expression vector. More specific description of the construction of the various constructs is given below.

Construction of pLR557, the Expression Plasmid Encoding a Fusion Peptide Comprising the Multi-Functional Solubility Tag IBT187 Coupled to the Peptide of Interest HC263 (IBT187.HC263).

Plasmid pLR557 was derived from the commercially available plasmid pBAD-HisA (Invitrogen). pLR557 harbors the gene for the araC regulator. araC is critical for arabinose promoter function. Additionally the plasmid pLR557 comprises a ColE1 type origin of replication, a bla gene to confer ampicillin resistance and aadA-1 gene to confer spectinomycin (Spec) resistance.

To construct pLR557, a modified multiple cloning site (MCS) was cloned in pBAD-HisA. An NdeI restriction site at position 2844 was eliminated to create a single NdeI site downstream of the pBAD promoter and the resulting plasmid was named pBAD-HisA_MCSmod. The NdeI/EcoRI fragment of plasmid pKSIC4-HC77623 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,285,264) was inserted into the NdeI/EcoRI site of pBAD-HisA_MCSmod, generating plasmid pSF004_pBAD-KSIC4-HC77623. The HindIII fragment of plasmid pCL1920 (Lerner and Inouye, Nucleic Acids Research, 18:4631 (1990); GENBANK® Accession No. AB236930) comprising the spectinomycin resistance gene (aadA-1) was inserted into pSF004_pBAD-KSI4-HC77623, creating plasmid pLR042. Plasmid pLR557 was created from plasmid pLR042 by removing the coding region for the KSIC4-HC77623 fusion peptide and inserting the coding region (SEQ ID NO: 7) for fusion peptide IBT187-HC263 (SEQ ID NO: 8) comprising the multi-functional solubility tag IBT187 linked in tandem to the peptide of interest (POI) HC263.

Construction of pLR642, the Expression Plasmid Encoding a Fusion Peptide Comprising Solubility Tag IBT233 Coupled to the Peptide of Interest HC263 (IBT233.HC263)

pLR642 was derived from plasmid pLR042 by removing the coding region for the KSIC4-HC77623 fusion peptide and inserting the coding region (SEQ ID NO: 12) for fusion peptide IBT233.HC263 (SEQ ID NO: 13). Many additional plasmids encoding variant IBTs were constructed using similar strategy.

Construction of pLR562, the Expression Plasmid for IBT187.H2-TonB-G3

pLR562 was derived from plasmid pLR042 by removing the coding region for the KSIC4-HC77623 fusion peptide and inserting the coding region (SEQ ID NO: 9) for a multi-functional solubility tag 187 linked to the polypeptide H2-TonB-G3 (i.e., IBT187.H2-TonB-G3; SEQ ID NO: 10).

Construction of pLR565, the Expression Plasmid for LOT Comprising IBT (IBT187.1)

The plasmid pLR565 was constructed to drive the expression of the gene IBT187.1 (SEQ ID NO: 3) in E. coli KK2000 for the production of multi-functional peptide tag IBT187.1 (SEQ ID NO: 4). pLR565 was derived from pLR548 by introducing a stop codon after the IBT 187.1 coding sequence. pLR548 is a derivative of the pBAD expression vector (See FIG. 1 for a map of pLR548, SEQ ID NO: 78).

Construction of pLD001-233, the Expression Plasmid for IBT233

The plasmid pLD001-233 was used to drive the expression of a polynucleotide encoding IBT233 (SEQ ID: 11) in E. coli BL21-AI (Invitrogen) for the production of the multi-functional inclusion body tag IBT233 (SEQ ID NO: 37). pLD001-233 is a derivative of the T7 expression vector. (See FIG. 2 for a map of pLD001-233, SEQ ID NO: 79).

Example 2 Accumulation of the Multi-functional Solubility Tags as Inclusion Bodies

The purpose of this example is to describe the production of a peptide (a multi-functional solubility tag) in a bacterial host by its accumulation as insoluble inclusion bodies.

Strain KK2000 is a derivative of E. coli MG1655 (ATCC 46076™) strain wherein the endogenous chromosomal copy of the araBAD operon has been deleted. The expression plasmids pLR565, pLR557, pLR642 and pLR562 described in Example 1 were individually transformed into the E. coli strain KK2000. Plasmid pLD001-233, containing a T7 promoter that drives expression of the gene of interest, was transformed into E. coli BL21-AI (Invitrogen). Approximately 30 μL of overnight cultures of individual E. coli transformants (both KK2000 and BL21-AI) were inoculated in 3 mL of LB medium (plus 100 μg/mL of ampicillin). The culture was grown to an OD₆₀₀ of about 0.4 and the recombinant proteins were produced by the addition of 0.2% arabinose and grown for 3 hours. To determine soluble versus insoluble cell content, the cells were lysed with CelLytic Express (a mixture of non-denaturing detergents and enzymes available from Sigma, St. Louis, USA) and soluble and insoluble fractions were analyzed on an SDS-PAGE gel. The multi-functional solubility tags IBT187.1 and IBT233 were each produced in the form of insoluble inclusion bodies.

In a similar fashion, plasmids pLR557, pLR642, and pLR562 were used to recombinantly produce insoluble fusion peptides IBT187.HC263 (SEQ ID NO: 8), IBT233.HC263 (SEQ ID NO: 13) and IBT187.H2-TonB-G3 (SEQ ID NO: 10), respectively.

Example 3 Production and Purification of Inclusion Bodies Produced from IBT187.1, IBT233, IBT187.HC263, IBT233.HC263, and IBT187.H2-TonB-G3

The purpose of this example is to describe a general process for the production and recovery of the insoluble peptides from the fermentation of the microbial host to the recovery and purification of the inclusion bodies.

The cells containing the two different inclusion body tags and three different fusion peptide constructs were each grown at 37° C. for 2 hr in 1 liter autoinduction media (Na₂HPO₄, 7.1 g; KH₂PO₄, 6.8 g; (NH₄)₂SO₄, 3.3 g; MgSO₄, 0.36 g; Tryptone, 9.2 g; Yeast Extract, 4.6 g; NaCl, 4.6 g; glycerol, 7.5 g; D-glucose, 0.75 g; and L-arabinose, 0.5 g).

The cells were harvested by centrifugation and lysed in 200 mL lysis buffer (50 mM Tris pH 7.5, 10 mM EDTA, 50 mg lysozyme), followed by sonication on ice for 40 seconds. The suspensions were incubated at 37° C. with shaking for 30 min, followed by being frozen overnight at −20° C. Upon thawing, the inclusion bodies were harvested by centrifugation. The inclusion body pellets were resuspended and washed with 200 mL of wash solution (50 mM Tris pH 7.5, 100 mM NaCl, 2 mM EDTA), and harvested by centrifugation. The inclusion body pellets were washed with 200 mL of water, harvested by centrifugation, and lyophilized.

All the above constructs formed inclusion bodies and remained as pellets under the conditions of harvest and washes.

Example 4 Solubilization of Solubility Tags IBT187.1, IBT233, and Fusion Peptides IBT187.HC263, IBT233.HC263, and IBT187.H2-TonB-G3 at pH 10

The purpose of this example is to describe the solubilization of representative peptides by resuspension of inclusion bodies at alkaline pH.

Constructs comprising multi-functional solubility tags IBT187.1 and IBT233 and fusion peptides IBT187.HC263, IBT233.HC263, and IBT187.H2-TonB-G3 were individually expressed as inclusion bodies in E. coli. This indicates that under normal physiological conditions (around neutral pH and in the presence of salt as found in the cells) these peptides would be in insoluble form as observed in Example 3. The recovered inclusion bodies were tested for solubility in de-ionized water adjusted to pH 10 with sodium hydroxide.

In each case the inclusion bodies were solubilized at 20 μM concentration of the inclusion bodies.

Example 5 Additional Multifuntional Inclusion Body Tags Designed to Have Controllable Solubility

The purpose of this example is to demonstrate that additional peptide solubility tags and/or fusion peptides comprising such multi-functional solubility tags can be prepared from structurally similar peptide tags. The present solubility tags and/or fusion peptides comprising at least one of the solubility tags are processable by controlling their solubility via changing of the physio-chemical conditions of the medium.

Variants of inclusion body tag IBT139 (SEQ ID NO: 14; see U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,678,883 and 7,794,979) were prepared. IBT139 and the variant peptide tags derived from IBT139 were prepared and tested for controllable solubility. Table 1 provides data on the various multi-functional solubility tags.

TABLE 1 SEQ ID Peptide SEQ NO(s): Tag ID of Core Name Amino Acid Sequence¹ NO: Core Motif(s) Motif(s) IBT139 MQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPEGQQRFQWQFEQQG 14 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 SDP IBT187.1 MQQKFKWKFQQQPRGQQKFKWKFQQQPRGQQKFKWKFQQQPEGQQKFKWKFQKQ 4 QQKFKWKFQQQ 99 QQKFKWKFQKQ 102 IBT201 MASQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPEGQQRFQWQFQQQGPGSDP 15 QQRFQWQFQQQ 90 IBT202 MASQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPEGQQRFQWQFQQ 16 QQRFQWQFQQQ 90 QGPGSDP IBT203 MASQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPEGQQRFQWQFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 17 QQRFQWQFQQQ 90 GGPGSDP IBT204 MASQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPEGQQRFQWQFQQ 18 QQRFQWQFQQQ 90 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT205 MASQQRFQWQFRQQPRGQQQFRWQFQQQPEGQQRFQWQFRQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 19 QQRFQWQFRQQ 92 GGPGSDP QQQFRWQFQQQ 86 IBT206 MASQQQFRWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFRQQPEGQQQFQWRFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 20 QQQFRWQFQQQ 86 GGPGSDP QQRFQWQFRQQ 92 IBT207 MASQQRFRWRFQQQPRGQQRFEWEFQQQPRGQQRFRWRFQQQPEGQQRFEWEFQQ 21 QQRFRWRFQQQ 98 QGPGSDP QQRFEWEFQQQ 100 IBT208 MASQQRFRWRFQQQPRGQQRFEWEFQQQPRGQQRFRWRFQQQPEGQQRFEWEFQQ 22 QQRFRWRFQQQ 98 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP QQRFEWEFQQQ 100 IBT209 MASQQRFQWQFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFQWQFEQQPEGQQRFQWQFQWQFEQQG 23 QQRFQWQFQWQ 91 PGSDP FEQQ IBT210 MASQQRFQWQFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFQWQFEQQPEGQQRFQWQFQWQFEQQG 24 QQRFQWQFQWQ 91 PGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP FEQQ IBT212 MASQQRFRWQFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFRWQFQWQFEQQPEGQQRFRWQFQWQFEQQG 25 QQRFRWQFQWQ 96 PGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP FEQQ IBT214 MASQQRFRWQFRWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFRWQFEQQPEGQQRFRWQFRWQFEQQG 26 QQRFRWQFRWQ 97 PGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP FEQQ QQRFQWQFRWQ 93 FEQQ IBT216 MASQQRFQWQFRWQFEQQPRGQQRFRWQFRWQFEQQPEGQQRFQWQFRWQFEQQG 27 QQRFQWQFRWQ 93 PGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP FEQQ QQRFRWQFRWQ 97 FEQQ IBT218 MASQQRFQFQFQFEQQPRGQQRFQFQFQFEQQPEGQQRFQFQFQFEQQGPGSGGA 28 QQRFQFQFQFE 88 GSPGSAGGPGSDP QQ IBT220 MASQQRFRFRFQFEQQPRGQQRFRFQFQFEQQPEGQQRFRFRFQFEQQGPGSGGA 29 QQRFRFRFQFE 95 GSPGSAGGPGSDP QQ QQRFRFQFQFE 94 QQ IBT222 MASQQRFRFQFQFEQQPRGQQRFRFRFQFEQQPEGQQRFRFQFQFEQQGPGSGGA 30 QQRFRFQFQFE 94 GSPGSAGGPGSDP QQ QQRFRFRFQFE 95 QQ IBT223 MASQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPEGQQRFQWQFEQ 31 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 QGSDP IBT224 MASQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPEGQQRFQWQFQQ 32 QQRFQWQFQQQ 90 QGSGSDP IBT225 MASQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPRGQQRFQWQFQQQPEGQQRFQWQFQQ 33 QQRFQWQFQQQ 90 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSGSDP IBT229 MASQQHFQWQFEQQPRGQQHFQWQFEQQPRGQQHFQWQFEQQPEGQQHFQWQFEQ 34 QQHFQWQFEQQ 83 QGSDP IBT230 MASQQHFQWQFEQQPRGQQHFQWQFEQQPRGQQHFQWQFEQQPEGQQHFQWQFEQ 35 QQHFQWQFEQQ 83 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT232 MASQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQQPEGQQHFHWQFEQ 36 QQHFHWQFEQQ 82 QGSDP IBT233 MASHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQQPEGHQHFHWQFEQ 37 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 QGS IBT239 MASQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPEGQQRFQWQFEQ 38 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT241 MASQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQQPEGQQHFHWQFEQ 39 QQHFHWQFEQQ 82 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT242 MASHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQQPEGHQHFHWQFEQ 40 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT247 MASQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQ 41 QQHFHWQFEQQ 82 QPRRGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT248 MASHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQ 42 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 QPRRGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT249 MASQQRFQWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGQQRFQWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 43 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 SQGAGRGGQGAGQQRFQWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGQQRFQ WQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT254 MASQQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGQQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 44 QQHFHWQFEQQ 82 SQGAGRGGQGAGQQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGQQHFH WQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT255 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 45 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 SQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT258 MASQQQFQWQFEQQPEGQQQFQWQFEQQPEGQQQFQWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 46 QQQFQWQFEQQ 85 GGPGS IBT259 MASQQQFRWRFEQQPEGQQQFEWEFEQQPRGQQQFRWRFEQQPEGQQQFEWEFEQ 47 QQQFRWRFEQQ 87 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS QQQFEWEFEQQ 101 IBT260 MASQQHFHWQFEQQPEGQQHFHWQFEQQPRGQQHFHWQFEQQPEGQQHFHWQFEQ 48 QQHFHWQFEQQ 82 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT261 MASHQHFHWQFEQQPEGHQHFHWQFEQQPRGHQHFHWQFEQQPEGHQHFHWQFEQ 49 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 QGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT262 MASQQRFRWRFQQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGQQRFEWEFQQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 50 QQRFRWRFQQQ 98 SQGAGRGGQGAGQQRFRWRFQQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGQQRFE QQRFEWEFQQQ 100 WEFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT263 MASQQRFRWRFQQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGQQRFEWEFQQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 51 QQRFRWRFQQQ 98 SQGAGRGGQGAGQQRFRWRFQQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGQQRFE QQRFEWEGQQQ 100 WEFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT282 MASQQHFHWHFQQQPRGQQHFHWHFQQQPEGQQHFHWHFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 52 QQHFHWHFQQQ 82 GGPGS IBT283 MASQQHFHWHFQQQPRGQQKFKWKFQQQPEGQQHFHWHFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 53 QQHFHWHFQQQ 82 GGPGS WWKFKWKFQQQ 99 IBT284 MASQQKFHWHFQQQPRGQQKFHWHFQQQPEGQQKFHWHFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 54 QQKFHWHFQQQ 84 GGPGS IBT287 MASQQKFKWKFQQQPRGQQKFKWKFQQQPEGQQKFKWKFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 55 QQKFKWKFQQQ 99 GGPGS IBT289 MASQQKFKWKFQQQPRGQQHFHWHFQQQPEGQQKFKWKFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 56 QQKFKWKFQQQ 99 GGPGS QQHFHWHFQQQ 81 IBT290 MASQQKFHWKFQQQPRGQQKFHWKFQQQPEGQQKFHWKFQQQGPGSGGAGSPGSA 57 QQKFHWKFQQQ 103 GGPGS IBT294 MASGPCGQQHFHWHFQQQPRGQQKFKWKFQQQPEGQQHFHWHFQQQGPGSGGAGS 58 QQHFHWHFQQQ 82 PGSAGGPGS QQKFKWKFQQQ 99 IBT295 MASGPCGQQKFHWHFQQQPRGQQKFHWHFQQQPEGQQKFHWHFQQQGPGSGGAGS 59 QQKFHWHFQQQ 84 PGSAGGPGS IBT297 MASGPCGQQKFKWKFQQQPRGQQKFKWKFQQQPRGQQKFKWKFQQQPEGQQKFKW 60 QQKFKWKFQQQ 99 KFQKQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS QQKFKWKFQKQ 102 IBT298 MASGPCGQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPRGQQRFQWQFEQQPEGQQRFQW 61 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 QFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT299 MASGPCGQQRFQWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGQQRFQWQFEQQGGAGQGGY 62 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 GGLGSQGAGRGGQGAGQQRFQWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGQ QRFQWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT310 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 63 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 SQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPRSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSDP IBT311 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 64 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 SQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPRSGAHSPGHSAGHPGSDP IBT312 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 65 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 SQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPRSGGAHSPGSAHGPGSHPGSGHAGSPHSAGHPGSDP IBT313 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 66 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 SQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPGSGASPGSDP IBT314 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 67 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 SQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPHSGHSHGSDP IBT315 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGG 68 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 AGSPGSAGGPGS IBT316 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQG 69 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 GYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT317 MASHQKFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQKFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 70 HQKFHWQFEQQ 104 SQGAGRGGQGAGHQKFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQKFH WQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT320 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQG 71 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 AGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGSQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGGAGS PGSAGGPGS IBT321 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGA 72 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 GQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGSQGAGRGG LGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS IBT326 MQQRFQWQFEQQNGKTQQRFQWQFEQQGS 73 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 IBT327 MQQRFQWQFEQQYNGKQQRFQWQFEQQGS 74 QQRFQWQFEQQ 89 IBT332 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGCQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 75 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 CQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGCQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPRSGAHSPGHSAGHPGS IBT334 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSHDHKNQKETHQRHAAGPGSGGAG 76 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 SPGSAGGPGSHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSTAEIQSSKNPNPHPQR SWTNGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSTPPE LAHTPHHLAQTRLTDRGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGSHQHFHWQFEQQGPGSGGAGSP GSAGGPGS IBT340 MASHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGLGCQGAGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLG 77 HQHFHWQFEQQ 80 CQGAGRGGQGAGHQHFHWQFEQQGGAGQGGYGGLGCQGAGRGGLGGQGAGHQHFH WQFEQQGPGSGGAGSPGSAGGPGS ¹= core motif(s) underlined.

The multi-functional solubility tags in Table 1 can be defined by the following general structures:

-   SEQ ID NO: 1-Spacer-[[SEQ ID NO: 1]-[Spacer]_(m)]_(n)     or -   SEQ ID NO: 2-Spacer-[[SEQ ID NO: 2]-[Spacer]_(m)]_(n) -   wherein SEQ ID NO:1 and SEQ ID NO: 2 represent core motifs within     each peptide tag; -   SEQ ID NO: 1 is

Xaa1-Gln-[Xaa2]_(p)-[Phe-Xaa3-Xaa4-Xaa5]_(s)-Phe-Xaa6- [Xaa7]_(q)-[Gln]_(r);

-    and -   SEQ ID NO: 2 is

Xaa1-Gln-Xaa8-[Xaa4--Xaa8]_(s)-Phe-[Glu-Gln-Gln]_(r); wherein

-   -   Xaa1=Gln or His;     -   Xaa2=Gln, Arg, His, or Lys;     -   Xaa3=Gln, His, Lys, Arg, or Glu;     -   Xaa4=Trp or Phe;     -   Xaa5=Gln, His, Lys, Arg or Glu;     -   Xaa6=Glu, Gln, or Arg;     -   Xaa7=Gln or Lys;     -   Xaa8=Asp, Glu, Gln, His, Lys, or Arg;     -   p, q, and r are independently 0 or 1;     -   s is an integer ranging from 1 to 5;     -   n is an integer ranging from 1 to 10;     -   m=n−1; and     -   Spacer=a peptide linker ranging from 1 to 100 amino acids in         length.

The IBT139-derived variant inclusion body tags in Table 1 were prepared using standard molecular biology techniques. These multi-functional solubility tags were prepared using several approaches including, but not limited to, varying the amino acid composition of the core motifs, changing the number of core motif sequences, selecting different combinations of core motifs, altering the length and composition of the peptide spacers separating the core motifs.

The solubility and insolubility characteristics of the IBTs fused to the soluble peptide of interest (POI) HC263 were evaluated. All the peptides were expressed in E. coli as inclusion bodies indicating their insolubility at neutral pH. Their controllable solubility by using pH (in this case pH 12) was assessed by making a 1-2 mL suspension of fusion peptide in water (˜1-2 mg/mL), adjusting the pH to 12 with NaOH, separating the insoluble fraction (pellet) from the soluble fraction (supernatant) by centrifugation (10 min at 15,000×g) and assaying the supernatant by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to confirm the solubilization of the peptide. The soluble fraction supernatants were transferred to a new tube and the control of re-insolubilization was assessed by shifting the pH to pH 7.5 by 20 mM Tris 50 mM NaCl, separating the insoluble fraction (pellet) from the soluble fraction (supernatant) by centrifugation (10 min at 15,000×g) and assaying the insoluble fraction (pellet) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to confirm that the fusion peptide was once again insoluble.

All of the multi-functional IBTs tested as fusions to peptide HC263 formed inclusion bodies inside E. coli, could be solubilized at pH 12 and rendered insoluble at pH 7.5 in presence of 50 mM NaCl, thus satisfying the functional feature of controllable solubility of the multi-functional solubility tags.

Example 6 Solubility Tags Providing Additional Functionality

The purpose of this example is to demonstrate that the solubility tags (defined by SEQ ID NO: 1 and SEQ ID NO: 2; Example 5) that are not removed from the peptide of interest (“leave on tags”; LOTs) provide additional functionality to the fusion protein beyond inclusion body formation and controllable solubility during downstream processing. More specifically, the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag can be used to functionalize a target surface by controlling or enhancing deposition of the fusion peptide on a surface via the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag.

The peptide of interest (POI) may be selected to have a binding affinity for a first target material. When coupled to a multi-functional solubility tag providing a binding affinity for a second target material (wherein the first and second materials are different) the resulting fusion peptide enables one to couple the first and second target materials. In one embodiment, the present example demonstrates the ability of fusion proteins comprising the present multi-functional solubility tags to act as bridging agents between the two target materials.

Seven peptides were subjected to a magnetic bead assay described in this example to illustrate the concept that a “leave-on” solubility tag (multi-functional solubility tags and/or fusion peptides comprising such peptide tags) has targeted surface activity. The peptides and their associated functionalities are listed in Table 2.

TABLE 2 Peptides and their associated functionalities Peptide Name Target material affinity (SEQ ID NO:) Classification (predicted) Function(s) IBT187.1 Multi-functional Inclusion Silica Presence in fusion peptides responsible (SEQ ID NO: 4) Body Tag (e.g. silica particles) for inclusion body formation when coupled (IBT) to a peptide of interest. HC263 Peptide of Interest Cobalt-nitrilotriacetic HC263 contains a hex-his tag (His6) that (SEQ ID NO: 6) (POI) acid resin (e.g. Co-NTA is predicted to bind to Co-NTA resins. coated magnetic beads) IBT187.HC263 Fusion peptide Silica particles and Co-NTA IBT187 predicted to bind to silica while (SEQ ID NO: 8) (IBT-POI) coated magnetic beads HC263 predicted to bind to Co-NTA resin coated magnetic beads IBT187.H2-TonB-G3 Fusion peptide Silica Same sequence as fusion peptide IBT187.HC263 (SEQ ID NO: 10) (IBT-POI) (e.g., silica particles only) except lacking the His6 tag. Predicted to bind to silica only. IBT233 Multi-functional Inclusion Silica Presence in fusion peptides responsible (SEQ ID NO: 37) Body Tag (e.g., silica particles only) for inclusion body formation when coupled (IBT) to a peptide of interest. IBT233.HC263 Fusion peptide Silica particles and Co-NTA IBT233 predicted to bind to silica while (SEQ ID NO: 13) (IBT-POI) coated magnetic beads the His6 portion of HC263 predicted to bind to Co-NTA resin coated magnetic beads. HC353 Peptide of Interest Hair and iron oxide particles HC353 contains a hair-binding domain (SEQ ID NO: 298) (POI) (with silica coating) (HP2-TonB-Grey3) linked to an iron oxide pigment particle binding domain

The seven peptides were individually dissolved in water adjusted to pH 10 with sodium hydroxide at peptide concentrations of 20 μM each as described in Example 4. One mL of the peptide solution was transferred to 1.8-mL microfuge tubes. Silica particles (i.e., Schott glass, approximately 600 nm average diameter particles) were added to a final concentration of 0.5% (w/v). The mixtures were incubated for 60 minutes with agitation. KCl was added to 50 mM concentration to promote insolubility of the “leave on” multi-functional solubility tag and the mixtures were incubated with agitation for an additional 60 minutes. The particles were spun down for 1 minute at 13000 rpm in a centrifuge. The supernatant was discarded and the resulting particle pellet resuspended in 1 mL of pH 10 water. The particles were spun down for 1 min at 13000 rpm in a centrifuge to remove any remaining unbound peptide. The supernatant was discarded and the resulting particle pellet was resuspended in 1 mL of 10 mM MES, pH 5 buffer. Five microliters of magnetic DYNABEADS® TALON™ (magnetic beads coated with Co-NTA resin; Invitrogen, Carlsbad, Calif., Cat #101.01D) were washed according to manufacturer's instructions. The TALON™ technology is comprised of a tetradentate metal chelator which binds to the imidazole rings of a poly histidine peptide chain resin. Approximately 100 μL of silica particle suspension, 5 μL of TALON™ beads and 500 μL of TALON™ binding buffer (50 mM Na-phosphate, pH 8.0, 300 mM NaCl, 0.01% TWEEN®-20) were mixed in a 1.8-mL microfuge tube. After 10 minutes of gentle mixing, the tubes were placed vertically on a magnet (Dynal magnetic particle concentrator, Invitrogen, Cat #120.20D). The magnetic TALON™ beads travel to the center of the magnet as a globule and unbound silica drops to the bottom of the tube. The tubes were rotated around their axis (while still on magnet) to apply shear force on the particles. In the case of peptide-mediated binding of the two particle types to each other, all the particles would travel to the center of the tubes, and could not be broken up via rotating the tubes. There is also a noticeable color change, silica alone is white, TALON™ beads are brown, and the mixed particles are more orange in color. Table 3 below shows which peptides in the magnetic bead assay described in Example 6 were able to facilitate binding between the two types of target materials (i.e., silica particles and Co-NTA coated magnetic particles).

TABLE 3 Description and functions of multi-functional inclusion body tags, fusion peptides, and peptides of interest Observed Surface- Peptide ID Expected binding (SEQ ID NO:) Composition functions Activity¹ No peptide — control — IBT187.1 Multi- Silica only — (SEQ ID NO: 4) functional inclusion body tag (IBT) HC263 Peptide of Co-NTA coated — (SEQ ID NO: 6) Interest (POI) magnetic beads IBT187.HC263 Fusion peptide Silica ++++ (SEQ ID NO: 8) (IBT-POI) (particles) and Co-NTA coated magnetic beads IBT187.H2-TonB-G3 Fusion peptide Silica only + (SEQ ID NO: 10) (IBT-POI) IBT233 Multi- Silica only — (SEQ ID NO: 37) functional inclusion body tag (IBT) IBT233.HC263 Fusion peptide Silica ++++ (SEQ ID NO: 13) (IBT-POI) (particles) and Co-NTA coated magnetic beads HC353 Peptide of Hair and Iron — (SEQ ID NO: 298) Interest (POI) Oxide particles ¹= Note: ++++ refers to strong binding between particle types that cannot be disrupted by rotating tubes. + refers to very weak binding that can largely be disrupted by rotating tubes. — refers to no observable binding even before rotating tubes.

The results of magnetic bead assay described in Example 6 and Table 3 are also shown in FIG. 3 and indicate that both binding domains (IBT & POI) must be present for the peptide to link the two particle types together.

IBT187.1 and IBT233 are excellent examples of multi-functional “leave on” peptidic solubility tags that (when coupled to a peptide of interest having surface binding activity) facilitate insoluble inclusion body formation, exhibit reversible solubility, and have demonstrated surface binding activity.

Example 7 Fusion Peptide IBT233.HC263 Can Mediate Binding Between Two Target Materials

The purpose of this example is to demonstrate an example of bridging the surfaces of two target materials using a fusion peptide comprising a multi-functional inclusion body tag having affinity for a first target material (a pigment) and a peptide of interest having affinity for a second target material (a body surface, such as hair).

Fusion peptide IBT233.HC263 (SEQ ID NO: 13) contains two engineered structural domains: an inclusion body tag (IBT233; SEQ ID NO: 37)) and a POI (HC263; SEQ ID NO: 6).

The constructs comprising IBT233 and the physio-chemical environment are described in Examples 1-5 for its use as a multi-functional (tri-functional in this case) inclusion body tag. The three functions of IBT233 (when incorporated in a fusion peptide) are:

1. It promotes fusion peptide insolubility in the E. coli cells to facilitate inclusion body formation (Example 2);

2. It provides reversible and controllable solubility for the fusion peptide (Examples 2, 3, 4 and 5); and

3. It provides surface binding activity for silica (Example 6).

In addition to the multi-functional inclusion body tag domain, IBT233.HC263 comprises peptide of interest HC263, which contains two sub-domains; one of which binds to hair and the other hex-His (His6) tag that binds to Co-NTA coated magnetic beads.

This example shows that fusion peptide IBT233.HC263 (SEQ ID NO: 13) can be used to bind pigments to hair. IBT233.HC263 was dissolved in pH 10 water (as described above) at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL and allowed to gently shake for 1 hour at room temperature (˜22° C.). Silica-coated red iron oxide pigments (with an average particle size distribution 200 nm) were added to the IBT233.HC263 containing solution to 0.1% final conc. (w/v) and incubated for 90 min under gentle shaking. KCl was added to 50 mM and the mixture was incubated overnight. The samples were spun down at 10,000 rpm for 2 min in a microfuge, and the supernatant discarded. The mixture was resuspended in pH 10 de-ionized water, vortexed, and spun down again. The supernatant was discarded and the samples were resuspended in 1 mL of 10 mM MES buffer, pH 5. Hair tresses (natural white hair bundle of about 2.5 cm length and 0.5 cm width; International Hair Importers and Products, Bellerose, N.Y.) were added to the microfuge tube containing the fusion peptide-pigment adducts. The hair was incubated for 15 minutes with intermittent vortexing. The tresses were removed and washed under running tap water and gentle embrocation. The hair was dried and the color was measured in X-rite SP64 spectrophotometer, measuring L*, a*, b* values according to Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (CIELAB76).

The experiment was carried out in triplicate, along with no-peptide controls, where everything was carried out identically except no peptide was added to the pigment.

TABLE 4 Color update in the presence of fusion peptide IBT233.HC263 Sample Color Uptake (ΔE) Standard Deviation No peptide (control) 4.9 1.4 IBT233.HC263 26.7 2.1 (SEQ ID NO: 13)

This example shows that the fusion peptide including the inclusion body tag and the hair-binding domain can mediate the binding of a pigment particle to hair and thus demonstrates the multifunctional role of the inclusion body tag.

Example 8 Fusion Peptide IBT255.AuBD Mediates Binding Between Two Target Materials

The purpose of this example is to demonstrate bridging the surfaces of two target materials using a fusion peptide comprising a multi-functional inclusion body tag having affinity for a first target material to (glass) and a peptide of interest (POI) having affinity for a second target material (gold particle).

Fusion peptide IBT255.AuBD (SEQ ID NO: 497) was prepared using standard cloning and expression techniques similar to those described in Examples 1-3. IBT255.AuBD contains two engineered structural domains: an inclusion body tag (IBT255; SEQ ID NO: 45) and a POI (AuBD, binding to gold; SEQ ID NO: 496).

The constructs comprising IBT255 and the physio-chemical environment are described in Examples 1-5 for its use as a multi-functional (tri-functional in this case) inclusion body tag. The three functions of IBT255 (when incorporated in a fusion peptide) are:

1. It promotes fusion peptide insolubility in the E. coli cells to facilitate inclusion body formation (Example 2);

2. It provides reversible solubility for the fusion peptide (Examples 2, 3, 4 and 5); and

3. It provides surface binding activity for gold (see Brown, S., (1997) Nat. Biotechnol. 15:269-172).

This example shows that fusion peptide IBT255.AuBD (SEQ ID NO: 497) can be used to bind gold particles to glass. IBT255.AuBD was dissolved in pH 10 water (as described above) at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL and allowed to gently shake for 1 hour at room temperature (−22° C.). 200 microliters of the solution were spotted onto a microscope glass slide and allowed to incubate for 1 hour at room temperature. The solution was decanted and the glass slide rinsed extensively with distilled water. As a control, the peptide comprised of IBT255 (SEQ ID NO: 45) alone was treated in the same manner as described for the fusion peptide. 200 microliters of a dilute solution (1OD) of 40 nm gold particles in water (Naked Gold, BioAssay Works) were spotted onto the glass slide and incubated for 1 hour at room temperature. The solution was decanted and the glass slide rinsed extensively with distilled water.

Results: On the glass slide incubated with IBT255.AuBD a purple circle (comprised of gold particles of 40 nm size) coinciding with the area of peptide application was visible, indicating the binding of gold particles to the glass. In the case of IBT255 alone, such a purple color was not evident. The experiment shows that IBT255.AuBD is able to anchor gold particles to the glass surface, where IBT255 binds to glass, and the AuBD binds to the gold particles.

Example 9 Accumulation of the Fusion Peptide IBT255.HC263 as Inclusion Bodies in Bacillus megaterium

The purpose of this example is to describe the production of a fusion peptide (including multi-functional solubility tag IBT255; SEQ ID NO: 45) in the Gram positive bacterial host Bacillus megaterium as insoluble inclusion bodies.

The gene for IBT255.HC263 was ordered from DNA2.0 (Menlo Park, Calif.) codon-optimized for expression in B. megaterium. The amino acid sequence of fusion peptide IBT255.HC263 is provided as SEQ ID NO: 499. The gene was cloned into plasmid pP_(T7) (using the kit T7 RNA polymerase expression system for Bacillus megaterium′ from Mo Bi Tec GmbH, Goettingen, Germany) with restriction sites BsrGI and NaeI at the 5′ and 3′ end of the gene, respectively. The plasmid was transformed into B. megaterium protoplasts based on the suppliers instructions (Mo Bi Tec GmbH). Colonies were inoculated into 3 mL cultures LB/Tet (10 μg/mL)/Chloramphenicol (4.5 mg/mL), induced by addition of 0.5% D-xylose (w/v) when the OD₆₀₀ reached about 0.5 and allowed to grow for another 3 hours. To determine soluble versus insoluble cell content, the cells were lysed with 1 μL of READY-LYSE™ (a recombinant lysozyme preparation available from Epicentre, Madison, Wis.) at 37° C. for 10 min. Soluble and insoluble fractions were analyzed on an SDS-PAGE gel. The fusion product was all found in the insoluble fraction, showing that the tag IBT255 drives its fusion partner into insoluble inclusion bodies in multiple organisms (E. coli and B. megaterium). 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: a) providing a microbial host cell comprising a heterologous nucleic acid molecule encoding an insoluble fusion peptide comprising at least one first portion and at least one second portion, wherein said first portion comprises a multi-functional solubility tag and said second portion comprises a peptide of interest; wherein the multi-functional solubility tag comprises at least two core motifs independently selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 80-104; b) growing the microbial host cell under conditions whereby the insoluble fusion peptide is produced within the microbial host cell in the form of at least one inclusion body; c) recovering the insoluble fusion peptide from the microbial host cell; d) subjecting the insoluble fusion peptide to an aqueous medium having a pH at which the insoluble fusion peptide becomes a soluble fusion peptide; e) contacting the soluble fusion peptide with a first target material having a surface whereby the fusion peptide non-covalently associates, with a KD or MBs0 value of less than or equal to about 10-5 M, with the surface of the first target material; wherein the association between the fusion peptide and the first target material is dependent upon, or enhanced by, the presence of the multi-functional solubility tag; and (f) altering the pH in step (d) to promote or enhance deposition of the soluble fusion peptide on the surface of the first target material.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein pH is increased.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein pH is decreased.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein pH is altered by at least one pH unit.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second portion of the fusion peptide is an antimicrobial agent.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second portion of the fusion peptide has an affinity for a second target material; wherein the first target material and the second target material are different.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first target material is a particle having an average particle size ranging from 100 nm to 10 μas measured by a light scattering method.
 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first target material is selected from the group consisting of a pigment, a body tissue, a cell surface receptor, hair, skin, nail, teeth, oral cavity tissues, plant tissue, a polymer, polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, poly (methyl methacrylate), polyethersulfone, polyimide, polyamide, aramids, poly para-phenylene terephthalamide, poly meta-phenylene terephthalamide, poly urethanes, polysaccharides, cellulose, starch, chitin, minerals, silica, silicates, micas, titanium dioxide, alumina, iron oxides, clays, metals, gold, silver, carbon, carbon black, graphite, and carbon nanotubes.
 9. The method of claim 6 wherein the second target material is a keratin-containing material selected from the group consisting of skin, nail, and hair.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the multi-functional solubility tag comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, and
 77. 11. The method of claim 1 where the multi-functional solubility tag comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 50, 51, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, and
 77. 